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All the world surrounds me, and my feet are on the ground.
I'm a very lonely man, doing what I can,
All the world astounds me and I think I understand
That we're going to keep growing, wait and see.
When all the stars are falling down
Into the sea and on the ground,
And angry voices carry on the wind,
A beam of light will fill your head
And you'll remember what's been said
By all the good men this world's ever known.
Another man is what you'll see,
Who looks like you and looks like me,
And yet somehow he will not feel the same,
His life caught up in misery, he doesn't think like you and me,
'Cause he can't see what you and I can see.
Autumn - All my colors, Autumn - Colors of A Shade, Forever Autumn - Photography, Autumn - Latest News, Autumn - If...


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It is impossible to conjure up the words that would do any justice to the feelings of the people in the stands at Pescara on Saturday as Piermario Morosini slumped to the floor for the second time, having creakily tried to lift himself up after half an hour of a Series B game against Livorno. It looks as though his heart had given out, and he was pronounced dead that afternoon.
The words, (such as "tragic" and "brave") that are so easy to bandy around at such times as these, alongside accusations of organisational chaos and ineptitude, are, unfortunately, all too trite at such a time. They are as meaningless as the game that was taking place. They are devoid of meaning in the immediate aftermath of such a grotesquely sad story.
This was going to be a blog about watching the Grand National, England's premier horse race, secluded in Berlin from its hype and grandeur. Away from the yearly fanfare that tells us why it is such an important part of the sporting calendar. This was going to be an oh-so-terribly-witty ramble through a race that lead to the deaths of two horses, witnessed by thousands of social climbers in stupid hats bought especially for the day, written whilst cocooned in a country where the upper classes prefer to shoot their animals themselves, and where the majority of comments about the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix are confined to whether or not Nico Rosberg will get another win or Michael Schumacher will get another start in the front two rows, not as to how many human rights abuses will happen while the race is on.
And, although I was honestly saddened by the barbaric way in which these animals are flogged over fences that are too high to safely jump, I have participated in it too often – as a once a year gambler, or just a viewer on TV – that the words wouldn't have carried much weight anyway. Though I am appalled by the travelling circus of Formula 1, and its insistence that cash always beats freedom from repression in that eternal game of rock-paper-scissors, I would almost certainly still have boiled it down to a one-liner that cowardly kept it's necessary distance from the real case at hand.
After Morosini's death I don't feel like being pithy, and can only say that, here in Berlin, I am lucky enough to say that I have never had to carry the burden of seeing such a scene in the game that I love, and that dictates all too much of my own, inconsequential, life.
As a consequence of football being a sport that has sped up so intrinsically, and the pressures on players having grown in step with every new penny that has flooded into the game, it is surely only a matter of time until we see a similar scene unfold here. That is not mawkish, or intended to be over dramatic. It is a horrible fact, but one that I can only hope is treated with the severity it deserves by those in charge of the game.
I am sorry for the lives of those in Bahrain who will be so ignored in the name of a race, and (although it is a different thing) I am sorry for the horses that died at Aintree. I also have a huge problem with people feeling as if they have to mourn in public the death of somebody they never knew, but I am terribly sorry to have heard about the death of a young man playing the game that apparently gave him the strength to carry on through an already sad life.
Let's hope that it's a very long time until we have to deal with the consequences of something similar again. Let's hope that in Berlin we stay lucky enough not to have to see it with our own eyes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Abitalia Tower Plaza
Abitalia Tower Plaza has been designed according to the principles of sustainable architecture. Its location near the nature reserve of San Rossore and stunning views of the Leaning Tower make it a truly unique place, a jewel of modernity and style, perfect for any kind of stay, be it business or pleasure. The hotel provides high level services, according to a concept of hospitality that dominate the comfort, luxury, peace and relaxation. The hotel is also a short distance from Private Clinic "Nursing Home San Rossore" center of excellence for many activities of diagnosis and treatment, as well as a service center with Estestico and Dental Surgeon.
Plenty of light and open spaces characterize the hotel's restaurant, "The Sovereign" and the Lounge Bar "La Piazzetta". And during the summer, you can dine by the pool.
The meeting rooms are a total of 6, including a plenary of 250 square meters and 5 different sizes with multiple design options, connected by a large foyer and equipped with the latest audiovisual equipment to meet the most demanding requirements.
The outdoor spaces are also suitable to be used for events and exhibitions.
Abitalia Tower Plaza
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After a chilly month for job growth in December, hiring warmed up a bit in January. But not by much.
The U.S. economy added 113,000 jobs last month, according to the government. That's an improvement from December, but was far weaker than hoped. Economists had been expecting an addition of 178,000 jobs.
They called the report "disappointing" and "weak," but characterized broader economic growth as "steady-as-she-goes."
"The U.S. economy is very stable," said Julia Coronado, chief economist, North America for BNP Paribas. "2014 might not be a breakout year, but it's not a disaster either."
Many economists had also been hoping that December's weak job gains would be revised much higher, as many experts were quick to write off the December report as a fluke. The number was revised higher, but only by 1,000 jobs to 75,000.
Lowest unemployment in 5 years, but: The unemployment rate was 6.6% in January, as 10 million Americans were counted as unemployed. Overall, the unemployment rate has improved substantially since it peaked at 10% in 2009 and is now at its lowest level in more than five years.
That said, much of the decline in unemployment has come for a discouraging reason: some Americans are dropping out of the labor force. As of January, only 63% of Americans over age 16 participated in the labor market -- meaning they either had a job or looked for one. Although there was a slight improvement in January, participation is still hovering around its lowest level since 1978.
While some of the decline is partly due to baby boomers retiring, economists are also concerned about the long-term unemployed, who may be giving up on the job market altogether. Following the report, one of President Obama's top economic advisers, Jason Furman called the unemployment rate still "unacceptably high."
About 3.6 million Americans have been unemployed for six months or more. Those who were relying on extended government benefits lost that lifeline in December.
"These figures provide a stark reminder that despite the progress that has been made, the after-effects of the recession still linger and are creating hardship for many families," Furman wrote in a White House blog post.
The Federal Reserve has been stressing that its stimulus policies depend on the economic data, and while it has been aiming for an unemployment rate of 6.5%, it's expected to distance itself from using that number as its main measure of the job market.
"Using the narrow, widely reported unemployment rate alone could suggest a misleadingly optimistic state of affairs," Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren said in a prepared speech Thursday, ahead of the jobs report.
Recently appointed Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is scheduled to testify before two Congressional committees next week.
Where are the jobs? Surprisingly, more than half of January's job gains came from traditional blue collar sectors. Goods-producing industries added more jobs than the services sector for the first time since 2005.
Construction firms added 48,000 jobs and manufacturers added 21,000 jobs. The mining industry added 7,200 jobs.
But that was one of few bright spots in the report. The health care sector cut 400 jobs -- the first month of job losses since 2003. Health care had been an industry with strong job growth throughout the recession.
Professional and business services added 36,000 jobs, but a large part of those jobs were through staffing agencies. About 15,000 jobs were added at restaurants and bars. Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores cut 22,000 jobs.
Overall, the U.S. economy lost 8.7 million jobs in the financial crisis. As of January, 7.8 million jobs have come back, but once economists also account for population growth, they expect that it will still take years to get back to a pre-recession job market.


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In the bag
What's the meaning of the phrase 'In the bag'?
If something is 'in the bag' it is secure - as good as in one's possession.
What's the origin of the phrase 'In the bag'?
The term in the bag with the meaning of 'virtually secured' is American and came into being in the early 20th century. It is slightly pre-dated by an Australian/New Zealand version of in the bag which had a different meaning. That was in use by 1900 and is defined here in a later citation:
Sidney John Baker's The Australian language, 1945 - "A horse set to lose a race is said to be in the bag."
Of course, that isn't the meaning of the phrase as we currently understand it. The current version was coined because of a tradition of the New York Giants baseball team. This was recorded in May 1920, in the Ohio newspaper The Mansfield News:
"An old superstition was revived at the Polo grounds, New York, recently when Eddie Sicking was dispatched to the clubhouse with the ball bag at the start of the ninth possession of one run lead. This superstition originated during the run of twenty-six consecutive victories made by the Giants in 1916, the significance of it resting in a belief that if the bag is carried off the field at that stage of the game with the Giants in the lead the game is in the bag and cannot be lost."
See other phrases that were coined in the USA.


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We're excited to have a blog hop to show you some ideas using my new Everyday Eclectic line from Echo Park Papers. Be sure to check out all the blogs on the list to see creative ways to use the collection.
Here is the layout I created for the blog hop. I kept it very simple since that is more my style. Have fun checking out the other blogs. Pop-dots are a great way to add dept with the stickers. I love mixing the stickers with patterned papers, so many fun combinations.
Blog Hop List:
Echo Park Blog
Allison Kreft (you are here)
Ali Edwards
Amy Tan
Dina Wakley
Kayla Aimee
Kelly Purkey
Kerry Lynn Yeary
ONE winner will be selected from each blog to receive an Echo Park Paper Everyday Eclectic collection kit. To qualify for the giveaway, post a comment by midnight EST, Sunday, September 5th. Be sure to leave a comment on each blog and check back there to see if you've won. Each blog will announce its own winner. Please leave comments for this blog's giveaway in the comments section below! (open to U.S. AND international residents)
Winner:Firstly congratulations on designing such a beautiful collection. Secondly I really like the little block you created with strips of paper in the bottom left hand corner of the page as a background for the two smaller photos. Thanks for the chance to win.
Posted by: Mel Hand | 08/31/2012 at 04:40 AM


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Got a Kid with an Addiction to Naughty Websites? Send Him to 'Camp'
"Porn camp" may sound like someplace aspiring adult film stars go to learn the trade but for a group of teenaged boys, it's actually a lot less fun — it's a place to ditch a porn addiction.
Oxbow Academy in Wales, Utah is a rehab facility dedicated to teenage boys who have exhibited "sexual behavioral issues," including an addiction to online porn. Residents (inmates?) sleep in military-style housing, and spend most of their time in therapy, doing chores, and attending classes at the on-site high school. Needless to say, there's a phone and internet ban, and the only sites the school computers can access are online encyclopedias.
For all this, parents shell out a whopping $9,000 a month — but it sounds like the boys apparently really need the intensive program. Stephen Schultz, Oxbow Academy's director, says some of them were like substance-abusers going through withdrawal when they arrived.
"One boy from Chicago actually got the shakes, like a drug user," Schultz said. "He'd been on his computer 10 to 12 hours a day looking at porn. He wasn't eating, he was dehydrated, had poor hygiene. He'd done nothing but watch porn."
Oh, thank god. We thought we had a problem but we are only surfing porn for 11 and a half hours a day. The other half hour we spend reading Penthouse.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Big spike in Euro patents - but 63% were filed from outside Europe
UK a measly 8th in filings at European Patent Office
More patents were filed to the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2012 than ever before, said the EPO today. The 258,000 applications filed represent a third record year in a row for the Patent Office and reflect the worldwide push to patent driven by the tech industry.
But the 5.7 perc ent increase in patent applications from 2011 says more about the value of Europe as a customer base than as a technological powerhouse.
Only 37 per cent of the patent applications to the EPO last year came from European countries. The bulk came from international companies looking to protect their products in the European market - 24.7 per cent of patents filed were from the USA, and the Asian trio of Japan, China and South Korea took 2nd, 4th and 5th place on list.
"[This] shows that companies from Europe and around the world are continuing to seek protection for their inventions, and that Europe remains an attractive market for new technologies," said EPO President Benoît Battistelli.
Germany was the most innovative European country, going by numbers of patents filed, coming in third behind the US and Japan with 34,590 applications in 2012, or 13.4 per cent of all patent filings.
Britain was an unexceptional eighth in the list behind China, South Korea, France and Switzerland. Brits filed 6,763 patents with the EPO in 2012, a modest increase of 4.4 per cent on 2011: giving the UK a 2.6 percent share of total filings.
Patent applications from most European countries were up or steady, with the exception of Italy (down 4 per cent) and Ireland (down 8.4 per cent). More detail on the figures will be out in March. ®


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"Sesame Street" puppeteer Kevin Clash, who took a leave of absence Monday after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy, has been cleared.
The accuser "wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship," the boy's law firm, Andreozzi & Associates, said in a statement Tuesday.
The puppeteer's accuser brought his story to the Workshop in June, claiming that he had an affair with Clash seven years ago.
He has never been named, and he will "have no further comment on the matter," the statement continued, according to the New York Times.
Also read: Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash on Leave After Underage-Sex Accusation
Sesame Workshop, which produces "Sesame Street," weighed in on the new development via its blog.
"We are pleased that this matter has been brought to a close, and we are happy that Kevin can move on from this unfortunate episode," the Workshop's blog post noted.
Clash has maintained his innocence throughout the episode.


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Jenica Rogers wrote a thoughtful post today about management at her blog, Attempting Elegance. In her post, "Lessons Learned: Micromanaging," she reflects on her management style as a new library director. She talks about how her personal strength and talent at project maangement has unexpectedly become a problem in her work as an administrator.
I think it would be a good practice to reflect upon one's own management style whether one is a manager or not as we all have to manage at least our own time and work. Furthermore, as professional librarians, we are also often put in a position to manage temporary, hourly, and student employees or even volunteers.
My own management style is actually a complete opposite to Jenica's. I love delegating and long to delegate more of my work, so that I can focus on and spend more time on certain projects that really need me. Just unfortunately, right now I don't have many people to whom I can delegate some of my tasks.
I confess when I was in library school, I didn't pay great attention in my management class. I figured I would be a lay librarian and I wouldn't have much need for management sorts of things. I soon realized that that was a pretty wrong assumption. I recruited a couple of students in my first year as a professional librarian after I realized that I could not keep up with all the tasks by myself. Since I worked with students before and it worked so well at my previous workplaces where I was a paraprofessional, I thought it would be a piece of cake. How wrong I was! (And also that made me realize how great a manager my boss was.)
The problem I had was that, unlike Jenica, I didn't do enough micro-managing. For example, I expected my students to read up stuff that I gave them and then to apply what they learned to work, which I showed how to do just a few times in front of them. Of course, I supposed that they would ask me any questions as they arose, work and behave professionally, and appreciate the freedom and trust I gave them. And by all means, the tasks that I assigned them were the simplest ones, at least in my mind.
What I was doing wrong was to treat my student assistants in the way I like to be treated. Not that there is anything wrong with the Golden Rule, the mistake I made was to think that my student assistants would have the same kinds of needs and work styles as I do. I love working independently and excel at setting up projects and getting things done without much direction or guidance. Whenever I spot a problem, I am happy to do my own research, solicit feedback without being prompted,  make decisions to fix the problem, and accomplish goals that I see as my responsibilities. On the other hand, I do not enjoy spot-checking others' work or writing reports about things that have been done.
Now this tendency of mine would work great if I were to supervise someone exactly like me. However, you can guess this wasn't the case with my student assistants. Now that I think about it, the freedom and the trust that I placed upon them could have been baffling and confusing to them. They may not have fully understood exactly what the tasks were and, more importantly, how meticulous their work had to be for it to be useful to others. A lot of things that I expected my student assistants to be able to do themselves and apply to their tasks may well have been simply beyond their capabilities. In retrospect, they would have benefited from personal attention and lots of directions and guidance as well as frequent check-ups to ensure that they were on the right track. But as a complete newbie manager with the natural tendency of macro-managing (if that is a word), I completely missed all of this for a while. The result was, well, not quite great. Some of the work that was done by student assistants had to be redone by me, and some of the projects didn't get finished.
It took a while for me to realize that the failure came from me just as much as from my student assistants. I wasn't managing them in the way that they needed me to. I treated them as if they were just like me. While this may well be a good rule in ethics, it certainly is not so for a manger.
I read somewhere that treating everyone equally is not a strength of a manger. A good manager treats everyone differently because everyone is different (with different strengths, needs, and work styles). I would probably never be a micro-manager as I believe that everyone should achieve a certain level of expertise (i.e. independence) in their areas by learning their work and doing it well through practice and that all of us do our best work when we are internally motivated, not externally. However, we all need different things at different times in different projects. A good manager is someone who can see the needs of those who s/he manages and can offer what is needed for each individual at a given time. And there, the distinction between micro-managing and macro-managing may well be irrelevant. That I now know from my mistakes. What is your management style?


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Lowa Mountain Expert GTX
The Mountain Expert GTX has been discontinued. If you're looking for something new, check out the best mountaineering boots for 2024.
It's a disposable boot!
Rocks cut and damage the sides. Eventually [months actually], 'IF' you have really really exhaust yourself on the cliffs, the shale, and upon the cutting rock edges of the Tombstone range, you will realize it is a disposable boot.
The Gortex opened to water penetrations. Constantly cleaning them. I eventually used a tube of Lock-Tite [black] silicon to seal them. But, now they have to be rebuilt and I'm asking 'why'? I expect more, but this is today.
I have now read everything I could on the Norwegian and Italian boot companies [if you can find them]. Everything is mostly style, colours, and for me dissapointemts. I'm very hard on my boots because my work depends on them. Maybe I should just suck it up and say they're just a tax deduction every year. Better yet... Fly to Norway/ Italy and get the real thing and deduct that trip too! hahaha
Of course if you parade on the open grasslands of any field or prairie they'll do.
PS ... I have never done this except now cause I saw this here.
Materials: nice bright red colour!
Use: Severe rock exposures/ cutting shale/ and pointed loose surfaces
Break-in Period: 3-4 months over winter
Weight: they weigh a lot less now
Price Paid: too much
Great boot! Warm, comfortable, and breathable!
- Warm but breatherable
- Very little flex
- None so far
Really comfortable boot! I've used them for snowshoeing in the dead of winter (-20 degrees C) , and climbing in the summer. They breathe well and have stayed waterproof so far!
I find that they are nice and stiff so I can easily wear a step-in crampon, or kick into hard snow to make a step.
I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a good all around mountain boot.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $300

Terrific product, period. I have used them on several outings now and they have performed admirably. Way easier on my legs and feet than my plastics, and I the conditions I have been in, just as warm. I haven't been below 10 Fahrenheit, so keep that in mind if you are using them in really cold places. I have used them for general winter hiking and for multi pitch 3+/4- climbing. The reason they're not a 5 is because my weak little calves would like something with a bit more stiffness for the sweet vertical sections.

Price Paid: picked up used
Great pair of boots. I picked them up for $50 at an REI scratch and dent sale and have not looked back!
Great in snow and trail. I have had them in temps of -30 F and started to get cold. At -20 F they worked like a champ!
They are a bit bulky for hikers so I would suggest some tennis shoes if you are doing a long approach.
Overall I have been very pleased with them and have held up better than most of my friends.
Price Paid: $50- US
Great boots.
I need US 10 size in the city, but I buy US 10.5.
In June 2010 I was in Georgia Mt. Kazbegi (5033m mkinvartsveri). Weather was very hot, just one warm socks, I feel very comfortable all day.
Price Paid: 200
Warm and light. I don't have to put toe warmers in my shoes anymore. They are waterproof too, something my last boots did not live up to.
Take a while to break them in.
Price Paid: $270
Your Review
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Challenge 95 - Bon Voyage / Vacation
- You can create a - Layout, Card, Canvas, Mini Album, Mixed Media, "Off the Page" creations
- Only new creations from 21st of July onwards
- Enter a direct link to your creations into the link tool, not only to the main page of your blog. This makes it easy for the Design Team to find your creations to leave comments
- You may enter a maximum of 4 entries for each Challenge
- MUST BE A FOLLOWER!!!!!!(to enter Challenges)
- If your Challenge entries does not meet the above requirements your entry will be disqualified!
This Challenge ends on Thursday, the 3rd of August, 23:55PM European Time.
Please, take in account the different time zones - you will find the Date and Clock on the Blog (top left)
We would like to thank our Wonderful Sponsors
Our Sponsor for Challenge 95 is
The Gorgeous Creations of the Design Team Ladies
Please click on the Designers name to visit their blogs
Rachelle DT
Digi image Butterfly girl
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Lia DT
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Carrie DT
Digi image Butterfly girl
Solveig DT
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Digi image My Fish
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Meet our Guest Designers for Challenge 95
Thank you for your beautiful GD Creations
Nancy GD
We hope our designers have you inspired.
We can't wait to see your creations and we hope that
you will join and share them with us!
Have fun!!
Happy Crafting!!
Please remember to follow us!!!


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With its tradition of being a premiere beauty venue, Cosmoprof North America (CPNA) is known as a place where retailers come to find new brands and learn about the latest beauty trends. As part of that, the Discover Beauty program continues to offer an exclusive array of unique, cutting-edge brands.
This high-profile initiative at CPNA successfully launches brands with leading retailers, giving these brands the opportunity to establish their mark in the beauty world. This year's participating Discover Beauty retailers are Amazon, Apothia | RonRobinson | Fred Segal, Beautybar, BeautySage.com, C.O. Bigelow, Dermstore, Duane Reade, HauteLook, Henri Bendel, HSN, NewBeauty at Fred Segal, Peninsula, Pharmaca and QVC.
These retailers have the opportunity to meet with new innovative brands, which have been selected for the 2013 Discover Beauty program. In addition to the one-on-one meetings, they will also have the ability to network as part of exclusive events created for this group of leading retailers.
"Our company's continued goal to bring new and innovative product to our customer was realized from last year's visit to Cosmoprof, and I am expecting to have that success, and more, again this year," said Ron Robinson, president and founder of Apothia | RonRobinson | Fred Segal.
"I am looking forward to seeing BB, CC and even DD creams for the face and hair. I think a lot more multi-use products will be introduced, especially for end of summer/fall," said Marcia Gaynor, DMM of prestige beauty at Duane Reade. "Nail still proves to be a strong category for us, and I am looking for the latest trends and technology that the industry has to offer."
Cosmoprof North America will take place July 14–16, 2013, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.


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The Max Kade German House (Living Learning Center) at the Ohio State University was officially dedicated on October 11, 1996. The renovation of the early 1900's house was made possible by a generous gift from the Max Kade Foundation.
The Max Kade Foundation was begun in 1944 by Dr. Max Kade, a prominent German-American businessman in the pharmaceutical industry. The purpose of the foundation is to promote scientific and technical progress, to further the peaceful coexistence of nations, and to advance German-American relations.
The Max Kade House provides housing for undergraduate students above the first-year level in German, a native speaker, and one undergraduate resident advisor. The house serves as an "immersion environment" where German is spoken exclusively. Students can also enjoy satellite broadcasts of Die Deutsche Welle. OnCampus has featured an article about students in the house and their experiences titled "German House is a Living Learning Treasure."
If you are interested in living in the Max Kade house, please complete the personal data sheet below and contact one of our undergraduate advisors.
Other events at the Kade house include the Kaffeestunde (coffee and conversation hour), meetings of the German Club, German film screenings, guest lectures, receptions, and informal presentations. The Max Kade House (Living Learning Center) at The Ohio State University is a central part of the linguistic, cultural, and intellectual atmosphere of the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures.
History of the Max Kade German House
The house at 141 West 11th Avenue on the main campus of The Ohio State University was built around 1904-1905. The first owner/tenant was Arthur Gillett McCall. He graduated from OSU in 1900 and went on to teach agronomy here as well. The photo you see on the right was taken in 1928.
The house changed hands several times from 1921 to 1936, when it was purchased by Mr. Charles Beatley. In the mid-1970's, Mr. Beatley passed away, and the house was purchased by Charles Beatly Jr., the former mayor of Alexandria, Virginia. Ms. Janice Beatley, Charles Jr.'s sister, owned it from 1988 until 1990, at which time the university acquired it. The house was divided into apartments, which were rented to graduate students until 1996, when it was renovated and converted to the Max Kade German House.
The Dedication Ceremony took place on October 11, 1996.


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Breaking down Saturday's UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Saint Preux card By The Numbers...
On Saturday, the Octagon is in Bangor, Maine for the light heavyweight meeting between Ryan Bader and Ovince Saint Preux. But before UFC Fight Night begins, let's take a look at the card By The Numbers.
Number of US states that have hosted an Octagon event including this Saturday's UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Saint Preux in Bangor, Maine
Number of non-PPV UFC events held in 2014 thus far including this Saturday's UFC Fight Night on FOX Sports 1
Current ranking for Ryan "Darth" Bader as a UFC light heavyweight
The Ultimate Fighter season Bader won as a light heavyweight
Knockdowns scored by Bader inside the Octagon, tied for 5th most in UFC light heavyweight history
KO/TKOs via a single punch at distance by Bader, tied for 2nd most in UFC light heavyweight history behind UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell's 4
Seconds for Bader to drop Vladimir Matyushenko and then to stop him with a guillotine choke at UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson, fastest submission in UFC light-heavyweight history (UFC 28 - present)
Takedowns for Bader inside the Octagon, tied for 4th most in UFC light heavyweight history
Takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting for Bader, highest rate among active UFC light heavyweights and 2nd highest in the division's history (min. 5 fights)
Takedowns for Darth in his most recent unanimous decision win over former Strikeforce light heavyweight Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante at UFC 174
2004, 2006
Years that Bader received NCAA Division I All-American honors wrestling for Arizona State University
Significant strikes landed to absorbed for Bader in his last outing against Cavalcante
Significant strikes landed to absorbed for Bader in his second to last outing, a unanimous decision over Anthony Perosh last December
Significant strikes absorbed per minute by Bader, 3rd best rate in UFC light heavyweight history (min. 5 fights)
Percentage of Bader's opponent's significant strike attempts that he avoided, highest defense in UFC 205-pound history (min. 5 fights and 350 opp. att.)
Total Octagon time for Bader across his 14 fights
Total Octagon time for Ovince Saint Preux across his 4 fights
Current ranking for "OSP" as a UFC light heavyweight
Straight wins for Saint Preux inside the Octagon, 2nd longest win streak in the UFC light heavyweight division behind the current champ Jon Jones' 11
Consecutive finishes for OSP, 2 submissions, 1 knockout and a Performance of the Night bonus that have occurred all in the past 12 months
Seconds it took for Saint Preux to submit Nikita Krylov at UFC 171 via Von Flue choke, 4th fastest submission in UFC light heavyweight history behind Eliot Marshall's 87 seconds, Alan Belcher's 53 seconds and, previously mentioned, Bader's 50 seconds
Fighters in UFC history to win via Von Flue choke, Saint Preux at UFC 171 and, naturally, The Ultimate Fighter 2 alum Jason Von Flue against Alex Karalexis at UFC Fight Night: Guillard vs. Neer
Significant striking accuracy for Saint Preux in his UFC/Strikeforce bouts, UFC average is 42%
Significant strikes landed by OSP in his 11 UFC/Strikeforce bouts
Percentage of Saint Preux's sig. strikes landed on the ground, UFC average 23.3% (min. 350 att.)
Takedown accuracy percentage by Saint Preux in UFC/Strikeforce (12 of 20 attempts)
2001 - 2004
Years OSP played D-1 football for the University of Tennessee
Current ranking for Gray Maynard as a UFC lightweight
Weeks notice for Maynard to step up against Ross Pearson. Maynard was originally scheduled to take on Fabricio Camoes at the cancelled UFC 176, which was pushed to this card and then removed entirely when Pearson's first opponent Abel Trujillo pulled out due to injury
Straight wins for Maynard in the UFC from 2007-2010, longest win streak in UFC lightweight history
Knockdowns scored by Maynard, 8th most in UFC lightweight history
Significant strike defense percentage by Maynard, 5th best in UFC history (min. 5 fights and 350 opp. att.)
Takedowns landed by Maynard, tied for 7th most in UFC lightweight history
Takedown defense percentage by Maynard, tied for 2nd best in UFC lightweight history with Donald Cerrone and behind Gleison Tibau's 92.2%
2001, 2002, 2003
Years Maynard received NCAA Division I All-American honors as a wrestler at Michigan State University
Days since Maynard's last win inside the Octagon, an odd split-decision over Clay Guida at UFC on FX: Maynard vs. Guida in Atlantic City
Days since Maynard last fought inside the Octagon, Maynard's KO/TKO loss to rival Nate Diaz at The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale
Total Octagon fight time for Maynard, 9th most in UFC lightweight history
Weight class Ross "The Real Deal" Pearson returned to in December 2012 and has fought four times in since, scoring two KO/TKO wins, suffering an illegal knee that led to a no contest and, most recently, a controversial split decision loss to Diego Sanchez at UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov
Percentage of the 14 websites polled on MMAdecisions.com that scored the Pearson vs. Sanchez decision for The Real Deal
Of the mentioned 14 scorecards read 30-27 for Pearson over Sanchez
Significant strikes landed by The Real Deal to what were absorbed including the second round knockdown Pearson scored against Sanchez
Strikes landed per minute by Pearson, 10th highest rate in UFC lightweight history (min. 5 fights)
Percentage for Pearson's takedown defense, 8th best in UFC lightweight history
Significant strike defense percentage for The Real Deal, 2nd best in UFC lightweight history (min. 5 fights and 350 opp. att.) behind John Makdessi's 75.5%
The Ultimate Fighter season Pearson won at lightweight
Percentage of Pearson's previous 12 UFC appearances fought in the US, which The Real Deals has gone 3-3 in
Current ranking for Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch as a UFC middleweight
Significant strike accuracy percentage by Boetsch, 6th best in UFC middleweight history
Submission attempts per 15 minutes by The Barbarian, 7th highest among active UFC middleweights
Takedowns attempts by Boetsch as a UFC middleweight across his 8 bouts
Takedowns landed by The Barbarian against Kendall Grove at UFC 130, tied for 3rd most in a single UFC middleweight bout
Significant strikes landed by Boetsch inside the Octagon (combined middleweight and light heavyweight bouts)
Percentage of those significant strikes landed on the feet by Boetsch
Significant strikes landed by Brad Tavares, 9th most in UFC middleweight history
Strikes landed per minute by Tavares, 8th highest among active UFC middleweights
Takedown defense percentage for Tavares, 9th best among active UFC middleweights
Consecutive wins for Tavares inside the Octagon prior to his most recent bout against Yoel Romero at UFC on FOX: Werdum vs. Browne
Time Muay Thai World Champion Ray "Sugarfoot" Sefo sharpens Tavares' impressive stand-up skills
The Ultimate Fighter season where Tavares was a semi-finalist


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Sarah Palin apologizes for "wusses" comments, Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin apologized Monday night for describing some Congressional Republicans as "wusses" who are being "wobbly" on conservative principles in the fiscal cliff debate.
"Well I guess I shouldn't call politicians names, so I apologize for calling the wobbly ones wusses," Palin said on Fox News.Days earlier, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee cautioned on the same network that some Republicans were compromising too much in the deficit-reduction battle taking place in Washington.
Lawmakers face an end-of-the-year deadline to reach an agreement before a large amount of tax hikes and spending cuts kick in. Democrats and Republicans are at a virtual stalemate over whether to raise tax rates on the wealthy–a provision that many in the GOP are actively working to prevent.
"Republicans, don't get wobbly on us. Don't be wusses about this," she said Friday. "We just elected you as representatives of the people to get there in Washington, D.C. and rein it in."
To the federal government, Palin pleaded: "Become as irrelevant in our lives as possible, please."
The conservative firebrand later regretted her choice of words, saying the calling of names "distracts from the point that has to be made."
"The point is that we are a bankrupt country," she added. "There isn't enough money in the world to pay back the future generations that we have stolen from and foreign countries that we have borrowed from and, through quantitative easing, the money that has been printed out of thin air."
Palin, however, stood by her stance that the problem stems from President Barack Obama's leadership and she has urged Congress to "work around those failed ideas coming from the president."
Also on Friday, Palin insisted that because of the nation's increasing debt, the country "has already gone over the cliff."
"It's just a matter of how hard are we going to thump down there at the bottom of the cliff," she said.
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Pikirkan berapa kali, setelah Anda selesai menonton video YouTube (atau
bahkan ...
1 year ago


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WASHINGTON - U.S. employers accelerated their hiring last month, adding a robust 288,000 jobs and helping drive the unemployment rate to 6.1 percent, the lowest since September 2008.
It was the fifth straight monthly job gain above 200,000 - the best such stretch since the late 1990s tech boom. Over the past 12 months, the economy has added nearly 2.5 million jobs - 208,000 a month, the fastest year-over-year pace since May 2006.
Thursday's jobs report from the Labor Department made clear that the U.S. economy is moving steadily closer to full health after having shrunk at the start of the year.
June's job gain followed additions of 217,000 jobs in May and 304,000 in April, figures that were both revised upward. Monthly job gains so far this year have averaged 230,833, up from 194,250 in 2013.
Investors appeared pleased. When stock markets opened Thursday, an hour after the government released the jobs report, the Dow Jones industrial average traded above 17,000 for first time.
The unemployment rate dipped last month from 6.3 percent to its lowest level since the financial crisis struck at full force in the fall of 2008 with the bankruptcy of the Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers.
"Since February, this has now become a textbook jobs expansion," said Patrick O'Keefe, director of economic research at the consultancy CohnReznick. "It is both broad and accelerating."
The job gains in June were widespread. Factories added 16,000 workers, retailers 40,200. Financial and insurance firms increased their payrolls by 17,000. Restaurants and bars employed 32,800 more people last month. Only construction, which gained a scant 6,000, appeared to reflect the slow recovery of previous years.
Job growth has averaged 272,000 over the past three months. In May, the economy surpassed its jobs total in December 2007, when the Great Recession officially began.
The number of long-term unemployed has dropped by 1.2 million over the past year to just under 3.1 million. That's half what it was three years ago.
Still, researchers at the liberal Economic Policy Institute estimate that 6.7 million more jobs would have been needed to keep up with population growth.
The challenge is whether the job gains will pull more Americans back into employment and lift wages that have barely budged. Many people who lost jobs during the recession and were never rehired have stopped looking for work. Just 62.8 percent of adult Americans are working or are looking for a job, compared with 66 percent before the recession.
Average pay has grown just 2 percent a year during the recovery, roughly in line with inflation and below the long-run average annual growth of about 3.5 percent.
Despite the improving job market, most employers still have plenty of applicants to choose from, and many workers with jobs don't have enough confidence to look for better-paying ones.
The lack of strong wage growth means the Federal Reserve may not feel pressure to start raising short-term interest rates soon as a way of controlling inflation.
The economy actually shrank in the first three months of this year at an annual rate of 2.9 percent. It was the sharpest quarterly contraction since the recession. Ferocious winter storms and freezing temperatures caused factories to close and prevented consumers from visiting shopping malls and auto dealers.
Still, the winter failed to freeze hiring and job growth has continued with little to no interruption. This should help to speed economic growth because more jobs lead to more paychecks to spend.
Most economists say annualized growth is tracking a solid 3 percent to 3.5 percent in the current second quarter. Growth over the course of the entire year should be closer to 2 percent for the entire year, roughly similar to the 1.9 percent increase in gross domestic product achieved last year.
Other than the weak growth at the start of the year, some other signs point to the improving health of the economy.
Auto sales rose at the fastest pace in eight years in June. Dealers unloaded vehicles at an annual pace of 16.98 million last month. Factory orders picked up last month as well, according to a report this week by the Institute for Supply Management.
Home sales also strengthened in May, after having sputtered in the middle of last year when higher mortgage rates and rising prices hurt affordability.


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This is one of the most critical tests for a developing economy: balancing development and the protection of human rights. It's currently playing out on the national stage in Peru. Several members of the president's cabinet have just resigned over plans to expand a gas field. It's in an area populated by tribes of Indians who have no contact with the outside world. Here's NPR's South America correspondent Lourdes Garcia-Navarro.
LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, BYLINE: Peru's economy has been booming in recent years and much of that growth has been fueled by mining and gas works. The most important gas field in the country is Camisea. When Shell Oil went into the area in the 1980s, it cleared paths into virgin rainforest, home to previously uncontacted tribes of Indians. They lacked any natural resistance to diseases introduced by the workers and many died. Fast-forward to today and the new frontier in gas exploration in Peru is called Block 88, an extension of the Camisea fields. A consortium led by Argentina's Pluspetrol and America's Hunt Oil has asked for permission to drill there, and it's little secret that Peru's government would like to see it happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Foreign language spoken)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: This is a TV ad sponsored by the government saying the gas coming from Lote 88 will help light homes across the country. The problem is that Block 88 lies in an Indian reserve, which is also home to indigenous communities that have shunned contact with the outside world. Advocacy groups warned history could repeat itself.
REBECCA SPOONER: So if this contact happens again in the new exploration phase of the project that they're now proposing, this kind of disaster can easily happen again.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: That's Rebecca Spooner with Survival International, which advocates for at-risk indigenous communities.
SPOONER: These people are the original inhabitants of the land. So if anyone owns this land, it's them. You can't push a project forward in the name of progress, you know, while killing off people.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: In March this year, the United Nations also called for the immediate suspension of the controversial project. There's not just opposition to the plan outside the government but within it as well. Peru's culture ministry is responsible for safeguarding the rights of indigenous people. It issued a report last month that appeared on its website. It warned that the arrival of oil workers and all the equipment needed for exploration in Block 88 would have a devastating effect on the tiny tribes there.
Suddenly, though, the report disappeared from public view, and the minister and vice minister of culture resigned. That followed the previous resignation by another vice minister who was outraged over plans to weaken the country's indigenous laws in favor of mining concerns. Vanessa Cueto is the vice president of the Peruvian environmental group DAR.
VANESSA CUETO: (Foreign language spoken)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I think there's a strong pressure being brought to bear in favor of investment, she says. Those investments, she goes on, are happening at the expense of local people and the environment.
CUETO: (Foreign language spoken)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: I think we have certain forces within the government, she says, who are trying to make indigenous claims invisible. The state needs more gas to strengthen our energy sector, but it can't happen jeopardizing the health and safety of local populations. The government has said it's still studying the proposal. Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Home >
News & Policies >
Policies in Focus
President Bush's Global Health Initiatives Are Saving Lives Around The World
President Bush Helped Save Millions Of Lives Through The President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief And The President's Malaria Initiative
America Has Led An Unprecedented Effort To Combat HIV/AIDS Around The World
President Bush has made a historic commitment to the fight against global HIV/AIDS. In his 2003 State of the Union Address, President Bush announced the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to combat global HIV/AIDS. Later that year, President Bush signed the initial 5-year, $15 billion authorizing legislation that had been approved with strong bipartisan support. This President views this commitment as a central part of our foreign policy to help alleviate the despair that allows extremism to take hold.
PEPFAR is the largest international health initiative in history to fight a single disease. This effort has helped bring life-saving treatment to more than 2.1 million people and care for more than 10 million people including more than four million orphans and vulnerable children around the world. PEPFAR's success is rooted in U.S. support for local programs that use the power of partnerships among governments, foundations, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, and the private sector.
On July 30, 2008, President Bush signed legislation to reauthorize PEPFAR, authorizing an additional $48 billion over the next five years to combat global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Under this legislation, the next phase of the American people's generous commitment to those suffering from HIV/AIDS will support:
As a result of the President's leadership, in 2007, G-8 leaders made a commitment to complement U.S. efforts so that together G-8 nations will support treatment for five million HIV/AIDS-infected individuals, prevent 24 million new infections, and care for 24 million people, including 10 million orphans and vulnerable children
The United States is also working through multilateral organizations in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The United States is the largest contributor to the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis, pledging $4 billion and providing more than $3.3 billion since 2001.
The Administration And Its Partners Have Worked Together To Save Lives Through The President's Malaria Initiative
In 2005, President Bush launched the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), committing $1.2 billion over five years to reduce malaria deaths by 50 percent in 15 targeted African countries. The President has also challenged the private sector to join the fight against malaria. It is estimated that the PMI has already reached 25 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2007, more than six million long-lasting, insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed through public-private partnerships to which PMI contributed.
The United States is leading the way in the efforts against malaria and has urged other nations to join. In 2007, G-8 nations matched the United States' commitment so that together, G-8 nations will work to cut malaria deaths in 30 countries by half. As part of fulfilling these and other commitments on malaria, in 2008, G-8 nations agreed to provide 100 million bed nets by the end of 2010 in partnership with other stakeholders. G-8 nations should continue to take action on these promises.
In 2006, President and Mrs. Bush hosted a White House Summit on Malaria to discuss and highlight measures for combating this preventable disease. This summit brought together international experts, multilateral institutions, corporations and foundations, African civic leaders, NGOs, and faith-based and service organizations to discuss and highlight measures for controlling malaria.
President Bush's Initiatives Are Providing More Effective Resources For Health Around The World
In 2008, President Bush announced a new initiative to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) around the world. This Initiative committed $350 million available over five years to provide integrated treatment for more than 300 million people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, targeting seven major NTDs: lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis); schistosomiasis (snail fever); trachoma (eye infection); onchocerciasis (river blindness); and three soil-transmitted helminthes (STHs hookworm, roundworm, whipworm).
President Bush successfully challenged other nations to join the NTD effort. At their summit on June 10, 2008, the United States and the European Union announced that they would join together to combat NTDs. In July 2008, G-8 leaders committed to join the United States in fighting NTDs by working to support the control or elimination of NTDs in order to reach at least 75 percent of people affected with certain major NTDs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In September 2008, the United Kingdom announced a £50 million commitment to NTDs, citing the contribution built upon President Bush's $350 million announcement and his call to the G-8.
In 2008, President Bush and U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a commitment to work together alongside other partners to fight diseases and support stronger health systems, public and private sector health institutions, and health workers. The United States and European Union announced on June 10 that they would work together to support partner countries to strengthen health systems and improve availability of appropriately trained health workers.
President Bush worked with international partners such as Australia, Canada, the European Union, and Japan to ensure a coordinated response to a potential outbreak of avian or pandemic flu.
As part of his "Advancing the Cause of Social Justice in the Western Hemisphere," President Bush launched new healthcare initiatives for Latin America, including ordering the USNS Comfort to Latin America and the Caribbean on a Humanitarian Mission in 2007. Alongside the USNS Comfort medical crew were staff from the Department of Health and Human Services and volunteers from U.S. non-governmental organizations such as Project Hope and Operation Smile to provide free health care services to communities in need over a four-month deployment to the region. More than 98,000 people received care during this deployment. In 2007, the United States also opened the first regional healthcare training center in Panama. This innovative U.S. health diplomacy program trains nurses, technicians, and community health workers from six Central American countries.
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All That Glitters - Butterflys
Minimum Hoop size 5x8 (130x180mm)
formats included DST, EMD, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, VP3, XXX
This magnificent set of 10 Butterfly's has been created for best use with iridescent embroidery film. It gives the beauty and sparkle of a metallic thread without all the hassles or expense! Metallic thread can be expensive, troublesome and itchy. Iridescent embroidery film makes your regular embroidery thread look like you used a specialty thread such as metallic. It gives it a subtle, elegant sparkle. Any item that uses iridescent embroidery film CAN be washed in a washer, dried in a dryer and ironed. They do not lose their sparkle.
It is recommended that you do NOT resize these designs. They are digitized specifically to allow the film to show through. You can however stitch these designs without using the iridescent embroidery film, and have the designs show as a shaded area.


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Cue the cancellations. Our last word in business today is: live audience.
With most of the East Coast shut down and all public transit halted in New York City, many of the major TV talk shows based in the Big Apple have gone dark this week.
"The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report," scrapped their live shows Monday and have yet to decide about tonight. Katie Couric's show and "Live with Kelly and Michael," were also suspended and Jimmy Kimmel canceled a planned show from his hometown, Brooklyn.
MONTAGNE: But the show went on for at least two entertainers.
JIMMY FALLON: Everybody, this is Jimmy Fallon. I'm here on 50th Street in Manhattan. I'm hoping, if you're watching, you're at home.
INSKEEP: Late-night host, Jimmy Fallon and David letterman both taped shows Monday to empty houses. Each had guests but the camera panned over to empty seats.
MONTAGNE: The show goes on here too, all morning long at MORNING EDITION, as well as on our Twitter and Facebook feeds. We're @NPRInskeep and @MORNING EDITION.
INSKEEP: That's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
MONTAGNE: And I'm Renee Montagne. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Borders Files For Ch. 11 Bankruptcy Protection
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Bookseller Borders, which helped pioneer superstores that put countless mom-and-pop bookshops out of business, filed for bankruptcy protection Wednesday, sunk by crushing debt and sluggishness in adapting to a rapidly changing industry. The book store has a significant presence in Manhattan's Time Warner Center.
The 40-year-old company plans to close about 200 of its 642 stores over the next few weeks. All of the stores closed will be superstores, Borders spokeswoman Mary Davis said. The company also operates smaller Waldenbooks and Borders Express stores. No word yet if the Time Warner Center location is one of those that will be closed.
Borders Group Inc. President Mike Edwards said in a written statement that cautious consumer spending, negotiations with publishers and other vendors and a lack of liquidity made it clear Borders "does not have the capital resources it needs to be a viable competitor."
Borders plans to operate normally and honor gift cards and its loyalty program as it reorganizes.
The company will receive $505 million in debtor-in-possession financing from GE Capital and others to help it reorganize.
In January, Borders said it was considering a bankruptcy filing after it received a conditional $550 million loan from GE Capital that required it to secure financing elsewhere.
According to the Chapter 11 filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York, Borders had $1.28 billion in assets and $1.29 billion in debts as of Dec. 25.
It owes tens of millions of dollars to publishers, including $41.1 million to Penguin Putnam, $36.9 million to Hachette Book Group, $33.8 million to Simon & Schuster and $33.5 million to Random House.
Activist investor William Ackman, whose Pershing Square Management Co. has a nearly 15 percent stake in the company, also stands to be a big loser.
He offered to finance a $16-per-share Borders-led takeover bid for rival Barnes & Noble in December, but nothing materialized.
The filing was expected, but it is far from clear if it will be enough to save the company.
"Chapter 11 does not solve any business problems at all," said Jim McTevia, managing partner of turnaround firm McTevia & Associates, in Bingham Farms, Mich. "They are going to have to be an entirely different company than the one that went into bankruptcy protection if they want to emerge successfully."
It has been a long fall for the Ann Arbor, Mich., company, which 15 years ago appeared to be the future of bookselling. But big-box bookstores have struggled as competition has become increasingly tough as books become available in more locations, from Costco to Walmart, online sales grow and electronic books gain in popularity.
Borders also suffered from a series of errors: failing to catch onto the growing importance of the Web and electronic books, not reacting quickly enough to declining music and DVD sales, and hiring four CEOs in 5 years without book-selling experience.
Even as the book industry shifted around it, Borders seemed to be in denial and focused on adding superstores, said Michael Norris, senior trade analyst at Simba Information.
"Books and content just became so available at so many other locations, online and offline, the 'grow, rinse, repeat' mindset just wouldn't work anymore," he said.
In addition, Americans are simply buying fewer books. Sales fell nearly 5 percent in 2010 to 717.8 million from 751.7 million last year, according to Nielsen, which tracks about 70 percent of book sales but doesn't include Walmart stores.
At its peak in 2003, Borders operated 1,249 stores under the Borders and Waldenbooks names, but now it operates barely half that. Its annual revenue has fallen by about $1 billion since 2006, the last year it reported a profit.
Borders' rival Barnes & Noble, which has 29.8 percent of the book market compared with Borders' 14.3 percent according to IBIS World, has done better by adapting to e-commerce and electronic books more quickly and keeping management stable.
By the time Borders' current CEO, financier Bennett LeBow, came aboard in May 2010 after injecting $25 million into the company, the ship was listing badly.
The bad news began to pile up December: Borders suffered its ninth consecutive money-losing quarter, a key holiday sales figure fell a dismal 14.6 percent and the company announced it was delaying payments to some vendors to preserve cash.
Fordham University marking professor Al Greco said Borders can operate with fewer stores, but the same challenges remain, Greco said.
"This is not a good day for book retailers, book readers and book publishers," Greco said. "It's a serious problem that a major chain that did a nice job for many years could not survive."
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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I am trying to resize my logo for the web but so far I have not been seeing the result that I want to. It was in a vector format first (AI) and then it was converted to PSD. I then used the image resize option to resize it. This is how my logo looks in Photoshop:
This is how my logo looks on my website when I remove the background and place it on my website
It seems a bit pixelated. It does not have the sharp and crispy look I would expect it to have. I am wondering if there is a way to preserve the crispy sharp look of the logo even at that small size.


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Marcelo Rios and Andre Agassi played an exhibition in Santiago, Chile today (March 30).
See another photo of the tattoo — and a word on Rios' Nike shirt — after the cut…
Rios is wearing a Sphere Macro React shirt from Nike. As he sweats, all the fabric flaps release heat and moisture, keeping Rios cool and dry. A light and stretchy mesh lining keeps the polyester-spandex material from sticking to his skin.
Here's Maria Sharapovawearing a tennis dress version:
>> tattoo watch continues: marat safin
>> tattoo watch: carlos moya
>> tattoo watch: saretta, starace


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The strong stock market rally this year is being met with a heightened level of supply, setting up a big bet that retail investors will keep buying what Wall Street is selling.
In the past, that's been a risky wager, with too much supply depressing market prices.
But with the market on its longest streak in more than six years without at least a 5 percent pullback, suppliers are figuring there are many more willing to step in.


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Thursday Night Football Recap — 49ers Rout Rams, 35-11
Frank Gore ran for 153 yards and a score, and Colin Kaepernick threw two touchdown passes as the San Francisco 49ers dominated the Rams, 35-11 in St. Louis on Thursday night. After falling behind 3-0 early, San Francisco (2-2) reeled off 28 straight points on the way to the win.
Gore's 34-yard scoring run just before the half swung the momentum to the 49ers. San Francisco receiver Anquan Boldin had five catches for 90 yards and a touchdown.
The Rams (1-3) did very little on offense, yielding five sacks and managing just 18 yards rushing on the game. St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford threw for 202 yards and a touchdown, but he also committed two turnovers.


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Objects Never? Well, Hardly Ever
In the VIEWPOINT section of Communications of The ACM, I found an interesting article entitled "Objects Never? Well, Hardly Ever". It's a radically different perspective than objects-first or objects-late. He suggests "objects-never" or maybe "objects-graduate school".
The author talked about OOP and made a question about how OOP is used in real world programming environments. He thinks that OOP is not the dominant programming model. For example, he claims, 70% of programmings are done for Embedded Systems where OOP is not really suited.
When some professors in universities wants to talk about the benefits of OOP, they talk about code-reuse. As another example, again, he claims, this is not the real case in real world. code-reuse is harder than what's claimed in universities:
I claim that the use of OOP is not as prevalent as most people believe, that it is not as successful as its proponents claim, and, therefore, that its central place in the CS curriculum is not justified.
It's interesting for me to know how people in stack-overflow think about this? Is OOP the dominant programming model from programmers' point of view?
If I should choose/learn/use just one approach, is it OOP or not? why?


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Closeted and in the closet are adjectives for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender etc. (LGBT) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.
Background[edit | edit source]
In late 20th-century America, the closet had become a central metaphor for grasping the history and social dynamics of gay life. The notion of the closet is inseparable from the concept of coming out. The closet narrative sets up an implicit dualism between being "in" or being "out". Those who are "in" are often stigmatized as living false, unhappy lives.[1] However, though many people would prefer to be "out" of the closet, there are numerous social, economic, familial, and personal repercussions that lead to them remaining, whether consciously or unconsciously, "in" the closet. The decision to come out or remain in the closet is considered a deeply personal one, and outing remains a problem in today's culture.
Effects[edit | edit source]
In the early stages of the lesbian, gay or bisexual identity development process, people feel confused and experience turmoil. In 1993, Michelangelo Signorile wrote Queer in America, in which he explored the harm caused both to a closeted person and to society in general by being closeted.[2]
Seidman, Meeks, and Traschen (1999) argue that "the closet" may be becoming an antiquated metaphor in the lives of modern day Americans for two reasons.
- Homosexuality is becoming increasingly normalized and the shame and secrecy often associated with it appears to be in decline.
- The metaphor of the closet hinges upon the notion that stigma management is a way of life. However, stigma management may actually be increasingly done situationally.
The closet, however, is difficult for any non-heterosexual, non-cisgender identified person to fully come "out" of, whether or not that person desires to do so. Scholar Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, author of The Epistemology of the Closet, discusses the difficulty with the closet:
- "the deadly elasticity of heterosexist presumption means that, like Wendy in Peter Pan, people find new walls springing up around them :even as they drowse: every encounter with a new classful of students, to say nothing of a new boss, social worker, loan officer, landlord, :doctor, erects new closets."[3]
Recent attention to bullying of LGBTQ youth and teens in the United States gives an indication that many youth and teens remain closeted throughout their educational years and beyond for fear of disapproval from parents, friends, teachers, and community members. To remain in the closet offers an individual a layer of protection against ridicule and bullying.Template:Cn However to remain in the closet typically takes an expense on the mentality of the individual, especially in the adolescent years as reflected in suicide rates among LGBTQ youths.[4]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Down-low (sexual slang)
- Ego-dystonic sexual orientation
- National Coming Out Day
- The Closet (2001 film)
Notes[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- Chauncey, George (1994). Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940. New York: Basic Books. Cited in Seidman 2003.
- Humphreys, L. (1970). Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places. Chicago: Aldine.
- Kennedy, Elizabeth. "'But We Would Never Talk about It': The Structure of Lesbian Discretion in South Dakota, 1928-1933" in Inventing Lesbian Cultures in America, ed. Ellen Lewin (1996). Boston: Beacon Press. Cited in Seidman 2003.
- Seidman, Steven (2003). Beyond the Closet; The Transformation of Gay and Lesbian Life. ISBN 0-415-93207-6.
- Seidman, Steven, Meeks, Chet, and Traschen, Francie (1999), "Beyond the Closet? The Changing Social Meaning of Homosexuality in the United States." Sexualities 2 (1)
- Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. Epistemology of the Closet (reprinted 1992).
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- Epistemology of the Closet (reprinted 1992) by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, ISBN 0-520-07874-8.
- Dossie Easton, Catherine A. Liszt, When Someone You Love Is Kinky, Greenery Press, 2000. ISBN 1-890159-23-9.
External links[edit | edit source]
- Empty Closets - Coming Out Resources and a Safe Place to Chat
- The Human Rights Campaign's Coming Out Guides
- The Human Rights Campaign is the leading agency of the National Coming Out Project
- ↑ Seidman, Meeks, and Traschen (1999)
- ↑ re-released in 2003 by University of Wisconsin Press, ISBN 0-299-19374-8
- ↑ Template:Cite book
- ↑ http://www.lambda.org/youth_suicide.htm


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Related Content
Press Release
The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a second superseding indictment has been returned against former State Senator Raphael J. Musto, Pennsylvania 14th Senatorial District. This new indictment amends previous charges brought against Senator Musto, who is currently scheduled for trial on January 6, 2014.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Senator Musto, age 85, of Pittston, was originally charged in an indictment in November 2011. Those charges alleged that Senator Musto accepted $25,000 cash payment from a construction contractor whom had developed various properties in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties. Senator Musto accepted the $25,000 in cash, as well as other things of value from the contractor, as part of a stream of benefits designed to secure Senator Musto's continued support of various construction projects which were to the financial benefit of the company.
In addition, Senator Musto was alleged to have accepted thousands of dollars in cash from another individual affiliated with Northeast Pennsylvania municipal authorities. That cash payment was accepted by Senator Musto as a reward for prior official action taken by the senator where he assisted the municipal authorities obtain loans and grants. In addition, Senator Musto accepted these funds intending to be influenced in his future official decisions.
In October 2012, the original indictment was superseded by a grand jury to include two new charges of public corruption. In 2006, Senator Musto is alleged to have accepted $1,000 and other benefits from an individual affiliated with a municipality in return for his assistance with passing through a loan application for the municipality. Senator Musto is alleged to have done the same, for the same individual, in 2008, again in return for his assistance with the passage of a loan application for local municipalities.
The Indictment returned Wednesday amended portions of this indictment to include a broader array of things of value provided to Senator Musto and changed one of the charges in the indictment.
In October 2012, attorneys for Senator Musto filed a motion with the court to dismiss the pending charges, or to indefinitely postpone the trial, because of Senator Musto's physical health. The government objected to this request and Senior United States District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo agreed. The defense appealed this decision to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court denied the appeal and on October 22, 2013, the case was returned to Judge Caputo who scheduled it for trial on January 6, 2014.
On November 15, 2013, Senator Musto filed a renewed motion with the court to indefinitely postpone the trial. In this latest motion, the defense has identified the senator's deteriorating physical health as well was his mental competency to stand trial as reasons for the trial postponement. The United States has not agreed with this request and will be filing a response asking Judge Caputo to schedule a hearing where the defense will be required to prove that Senator Musto is unable to withstand trial and/or assist his attorneys.
This case is part of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service and is being prosecuted by a team of federal prosecutors led by Senior Litigation Counsel Gordon Zubrod and includes Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Houser, Michael Consiglio, Amy Phillips John Gurganus and Criminal Division Chief Christian Fisanick.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.


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The sad state of my studio right now.
Oh well. Might as well have a glass.
A month and a half later, here is the follow-up post on Austin, Texas. While we were there, we did a lot of shopping on South Congress. Of the many fine retail establishments we visited, my favorite was Uncommon Objects. I had run across this amazing shop when Secret Leaves was still selling wholesale and fell in love with it immediately, so I was excited to visit in person. The unusual antiques and curios they stock are right up my alley:
Vintage clothing, cowboy boots, antiques, gifts and curios from Mexico and around the world, handmade jewelry, home goods — there were many, many other great shops along South Congress, none of which I can remember the names of now. But no matter, just step out onto the sidewalk and start walking — they're everywhere!
Next up, County Line Barbecue. After all, you can't go to Texas and not eat some barbecue, right?
The food at County Line was good, no doubt, but the best thing about it was the Texas Hill Country location with its stunning views:
They have a beautiful patio to enjoy it from:
I loved all the Texas memorabilia on display:
Finally, in one of the highlights of the trip, I met Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips in the airport:
He couldn't have been a lovelier guy.
There is so much more to do and see than we had time for. I loved Austin and can't wait to go back again.
If you're so inclined, leave a comment about some of your favorite places in Austin.


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CORTLAND, N.Y. – The New York Jets have extensively practiced their wildcat package with Tim Tebow for the first time in front of the media during training camp.
The Jets provided a small glimpse into their plan for Tebow and their wildcat-style formation on Aug. 2 during goal-line drills, but had not worked specifically on the scheme until Monday.
The practice is closed to the public, so the media is restricted from reporting specifics about how the Jets are using the wildcat and with what personnel. But, as coach Rex Ryan has insisted, the wildcat appears it will be at least a small part of Tony Sparano's offense with Tebow in the mix.
Sparano helped make the scheme popular again a few years ago when he was the coach of the Miami Dolphins.


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This is lecture 12 of Peace and Conflict Studies 164B - Spring 2007 Season and it is provided by University of California, Berkeley. PACS 164B: Introduction to Nonviolence - Spring 2007. An introduction to the science of nonviolence, mainly as seen through the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi. Historical overview of nonviolence East and the West up to the American Civil Rights movement and Martin Luther King, Jr., with emphasis on the ideal of principled nonviolence and the reality of mixed or strategic nonviolence in practice, especially as applied to problems of social justice and defense.
Video is embedded from external source so embedding is not available.
Video is embedded from external source so download is not available.
Tags: peace conflict education courses pacs164b berkeley uc webcast.berkeley yt:quality=high
Uploaded by: berkeleypeacespr ( Send Message ) on 04-09-2012.
Duration: 79m 57s
No content is added to this lecture.
This video is a part of a lecture series from of berkeley


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NEW YORK (AlixPartners) — Though they constitute just 26 percent of the population, Americans who spend over 40 percent of their food and beverage budgets on health and wellness-related products account for an outsized 61 percent of all spending in that lucrative sector, or more than $161 billion annually. That's according to a new study, which includes a survey of 2,642 consumers, by AlixPartners, the global business advisory firm. However, says the study, winning over these health and wellness "superusers" will be extremely challenging as these consumers display a widely-varying willingness to pay more for some products, are often confused by product claims and labeling, and often shop in unexpected channels.
"This study addresses a very hot topic in food and beverage today – the dramatic growth in demand for health and wellness products – and it zeros in on the superusers in that market," said David Garfield, managing director at AlixPartners and head of the firm's Consumer Products Practice. "Health and wellness has become a key battleground for consumer products companies and retailers, and companies that can win over the market-making superusers will have a strong advantage."
Superusers, by the Numbers
At the highest level, the AlixPartners study finds that, compared with other consumers, superusers:
- Spend four times as much per month on health and wellness products ($236 vs. $52)
- Are 19% more likely to be female
- Are 31% more likely to have household incomes over $100,000
- Are 57% more likely to possess post-graduate degrees
- Are 23% more likely to live west of the Rocky Mountains
- Are 43% more likely to identify themselves as health-conscious consumers
- Are 19% less likely to identify themselves as budget-conscious consumers
- Are 35% less likely to identify themselves as time-crunched consumers who don't have time to prepare meals
Perhaps predictably, the AlixPartners study finds that superusers spend more on fresh products than do other consumers. Specifically, it finds that on average they allocate more than four times as much of their monthly health and wellness-related expenditures on fresh fruits and vegetables ($81.93 vs. $19.12), more than three-and-a-half times as much on fresh meat and seafood ($56.01 vs. $15.58) and more than five times as much on dairy products ($31.15 vs. $5.65). However, it also finds that superusers on average spend almost seven times as much on prepackaged foods ($18.70 vs. just $2.70); over five times as much on frozen foods ($16.34 vs. $2.90); almost five times as much on non-alcoholic beverages ($12.99 vs. $2.75); almost five times as much on prepared/ready-to-eat foods ($10.50 vs. $2.11) and over five times as much on snack foods ($8.50 vs. $1.61).
What Superusers Are Willing to Pay For
In terms of the health and wellness product characteristics that superusers say are important to them, a litany of attributes – from trans-fat-free to gluten-free – were cited. However, when polled on their willingness to pay more for those same attributes, the results varied widely.
For instance, while gluten-free is a growing category and one very much in the news these days, and while 17% of superusers in the survey indicate that gluten-free characteristics are "important" or "very important" to them, only 2% say they are willing to pay greater than 10% more for gluten-free products. That compares with 15% of superusers who say they are willing to pay greater than 10% more for locally-sourced products (with 65% indicating that locally-sourced products are "important" or "very important" to them).
"Certain product features are critically important in the health and wellness space and can often command a significant price premium, but the trick is knowing which features for which group of consumers," said Garfield. "At the same time, of course, universal attributes such as taste, value and convenience will remain critical – as they are to the vast majority of consumers."
Product Labels – Important, Confusing
One area of both opportunity and risk for consumer products companies in reaching food and beverage consumers of all kinds is in labeling, finds the study. Among other things, it finds that consumers don't seem to be impressed by claims on product labels based on either scientific studies or consumer studies. In the AlixPartners survey, just 16% and 11%, respectively, of consumers cited such label-claims as being "important" or "very important."
Meanwhile, the survey also finds that 57% of consumers at large list the ingredient list as "very influential" or "extremely influential" in their food and beverage purchase decisions – highest of any option offered. However, at the same time, other results in the survey reveal that consumers are often confused about which ingredients are "good for you" or "bad for you," and that there is considerable consumer confusion over what a lot of health and wellness product labeling information actually means.
This confusion is especially acute around "organic" and "non-GMO" (genetically-modified-organism) products. For instance, although genetically-modified products have been front-page news many times in recent years and although 53% of those in the AlixPartners survey said "free of GMO ingredients" fits their definition of a "natural" product, almost a third (31%) of those surveyed were unable to accurately define the meaning of the term "GMO."
Meanwhile, the survey finds that consumers are also confused by scientific names on ingredient lists mandated by government labeling guidelines. For example, almost all (94%) of consumers in the AlixPartners survey say that vitamin B12 is "good for you," but only 9% have the same view of cyanocobalamin, even though they are the same thing.
According to the AlixPartners study, consumer products firms also face consumer confusion, and therefore labeling risks, around ingredients that are predominantly viewed by consumers as "bad for you." The AlixPartners survey identified 11 key ingredients that consumers felt were bad for them, led by high-fructose corn syrup (picked by 85% of those surveyed), trans fats (85%), MSG (85%) and saturated fats (84%).
"Increasing emphasis is being placed on product label transparency, and consumers are saying they want more information," said Jonathan Greenway, a director in AlixPartners' Consumer Products Practice. "At the same time, many consumers remain confused by unclear standards for product attributes such as GMO, by scientific ingredient names and by the health impact of everyday ingredients."
Preferred Channels – Not Just Health Food Stores
While superusers, perhaps also not surprisingly, are far less likely to spend on health and wellness products in the dollar-, drug- and convenience-store channels, the AlixPartners survey finds that traditional grocery stores are capturing no less than 43% of that spending. That's a higher percentage than mass retailers (such as Walmart and Target), at 17%; club stores (such as Costco and Sam's Club), at 12%; and large health food stores (such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe's), at 16%. In dollar terms, that equates to superuser spending on health and wellness products of $101.94 per month at traditional grocers, $39.37 at mass retailers, $38.51 at large health food stores and $29.04 at club stores.
The AlixPartners survey shows that older consumers, in particular, tend to buy their health and wellness-related food and beverage products at traditional grocery stores, with shoppers 48 to 66 years old spending 47% of their health and wellness budget in that channel. By comparison, shoppers aged 18-24 purchase only 31% of their health and wellness products from traditional grocers. Meanwhile, the survey also shows that consumers whose households earn more than $250,000 annually tend to shop more heavily in club and large health food stores (14% and 21% of their monthly budgets, respectively). And it finds that customers with annual household incomes of less than $29,999 buy their health and wellness-related food and beverage products more heavily from the mass channel (31% of their monthly budgets).
"These trends point to continued pressure on traditional grocers and highlight the channel diversification of health and wellness spending," said Richard Vitaro, a director in AlixPartners' Consumer Products Practice. "At the same time, large health food stores are attracting more than their overall market share of superusers as well as Millennials."
What Companies Can Do
With food and beverage accounting for roughly three-quarters of all spending in health and wellness today, the AlixPartners study concludes with a list of recommendations for companies seeking to capture a larger share of spending in this space. Chief among them:
- Be keenly aware of consumers' willingness to pay more for certain product features, and of exactly how much they're willing to pay – because that amount can vary widely
- With cost parameters in mind dictated by what consumers are actually willing to pay, be intensely aware of what ingredient formularies will generate optimal consumer pull, and integrate those insights into the product development pipeline as well into packaging innovations
- Use product labels to highlight those attributes for which consumers are willing to pay more – but be wary that especially with today's lack of regulatory clarity in this area comes litigation risk (and that consumers are increasingly taking companies' health and wellness claims to task through lawsuits and other means)
- Be aware of which channels health and wellness consumers are using today and which they may use in the future – and fine-tune packaging, distribution and marketing to those distinct channels.
"Consumer products companies in general and food and beverage companies in particular have a game-changing opportunity with today's growing interest in health and wellness," said Garfield. "But to take full advantage of it, companies are going to need to be very granular in their understanding of what these consumers really want and are willing to pay for, how to attract their attention and win their trust, and how best to reach them when and where they want to shop."
About the Study
Eat Well, Drink Well: Capturing the Health and Wellness Superuser in the Food and Beverage Sector includes a survey of 2,642 adult (age 18 and older) Americans. Respondents were representative of the U.S. population across key demographics and income ranges. The study also included an in-depth analysis of the survey results, plus other analysis and input by AlixPartners.
About AlixPartners
AlixPartners is a leading global business advisory firm of results-oriented professionals who specialize in creating value and restoring performance at every stage of the business lifecycle. We thrive on our ability to make a difference in high-impact situations and deliver sustainable, bottom-line results. The firm's expertise covers a wide range of businesses and industries whether they are healthy, challenged or distressed. Since 1981, we have taken a unique, small-team, action-oriented approach to helping corporate boards and management, law firms, investment banks and investors respond to critical business issues. For more information, visit www.alixpartners.com.


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The Shipping Crunch Has Arrived [AUDIO]
Dave and Kathy Shappee and their 'elves' at the Shipping Depot are working non-stop to make sure gifts arrive at their destination in time for Christmas.
Shappee has been sending gifts of all sizes and descriptions for nearly 30 years in Missoula, and he advises those who want to make sure their gifts arrive on time to ship right away.
Shappee says the days leading up to Christmas are like the rings of a bulls-eye, in that as the rings close up..shipping prices increase.
Shappee says, yes, it is possible to ship on Christmas Eve and guarantee Christmas delivery, but the cost will be very high. He says shipping or mailing anything Monday or Tuesday should arrive on time, but after that, the price goes up.
Shipping Depot owner Dave Shappee


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4 Steps: Meet New People
4 Steps: Meet New People
Page 1 of 2
When you meet new people, you are expanding your network. Whether you're in a new town or neighborhood or you're simply looking for new personal or professional connections, meeting new people can impact various areas of your life.In can be difficult to meet new people, however. Sometimes, you might feel like you have to repress or modify your personality a bit, and stick your neck out there and expose yourself to some potentially uncomfortable situations. The effort tends to pay off, but oddly enough, the older we get, the more difficult it becomes to meet new people.
If you have moved to a new area or want to network for professional purposes, follow our steps to get out and meet new people.
Step 1: Explore new social groupings
If you're moving to a new city, your workplace will likely offer you at least one new social grouping. Meeting new people at work is fine and convenient; the drawback, however, is that these people are your colleagues, and in your haste to fit in or to have some semblance of a social life, you may form personal connections with people you don't know that well. Eventually, some of them might turn out to be different than you thought they were. You may regret making those personal connections because, of course, you will see these people every day at work. So, take that type of social grouping with a grain of salt.If you want to meet new people, you are better off getting into some outside social circles — ones that have regular get-togethers. Adult sports leagues are almost unbeatable in this respect; they don't take themselves too seriously, they play once a week or so, and usually involve a broad range of people. Don't go looking for the basic softball league either, as different areas have their own local flavors. An alternative example is the Austin Sports and Social Club (AustinSCC.com) in Austin, Texas, whose sports include dodgeball, kickball and wiffleball. If that homepage with women drinking in bikinis doesn't inspire you to explore a new social grouping, we're not sure what will.
Step 2: Pull conversation from the setting
Getting involved doesn't merely mean signing up or showing up, it also means chatting it up. We've discussed starting a conversation before; use those steps to open a conversation with someone on a topic that relates to whatever it is that brought you together in the first place. If you're on a soccer team, you can ask if anyone else has been following the Premier League (provided you actually have been, as nothing turns people off quicker than a phony approach).The idea is to meet new people by finding points of conversation from your environment. This approach offers plenty of natural topics that won't seem forced. After all, you have a better chance of talking baseball among softball players than you do of finding someone else on the team to talk about paranormal investigations.
These 2 final steps will ensure you meet new people…
Social skills